Maryland Animal Abuse Registry (“Heidi’s Law”)

Animal rights’ campaign, Maryland Votes for Animals, has drawn a report based on studies linking animal abusers to crimes committed against humans.  Studies have proven that animal abuse is a strong predictor of vehement criminal behavior. 

According to a study conducted by MSPCA/NU, animal abusers are found to be five times more likely to commit a violent crime against people and four times more likely to commit property crimes.  It is evident that animal abuse tends to be a precursor to more dangerous delinquency; the enactment of “Heidi’s Law” intends to stop these offenders from escalating their criminal behavior. 

The Animal Abuser Registry proposed a centralized database where convicted animal offenders must register to a publicly accessed site, (similar to that of a sex offender’s registry). 

If Maryland passes this bill, it can greatly reduce transgressions against both animals and people, as well as generate economic benefits by reducing crime-related costs.